2.4.2. Scheduling Tasks

A task is a "to-do" item in a calendar. To schedule a task, the user selects the `Task' command in the `Schedule' menu, in response to which the system displays the dialog shown in Figure 123.


Figure 123: Task scheduling dialog.



The following fields in the task scheduling dialog hold the same form of information as the appointment scheduling dialog in Figure 5:

The user enters information for these fields in the same manner as for an appointment, as described in Section 2.2.

The date and time fields of a task specify when the task is due. A task has no specific start time or duration. The `End Date' field applies to recurring tasks; it is initially disabled since the default for tasks is non- recurring. The `Security' for a task is one of two levels: `Public' or `Private'. The `TitleOnly' and `Confidential' security levels do not apply to tasks, since these levels are only meaningful for scheduled items that have a start time and duration, i.e., appointments and meetings.

The `Priority' for a task is fundamentally different than for the other types of scheduled item. For a task, priority is a numeric value that defines the relative importance among tasks. The value is between 0 and 10, with a higher value indicating a higher priority. Figure 124 shows the task priority pulldown menu. For documentation purposes, the menu lists parenthetically that 0 is the lowest and 10 the highest priority. These documentary words do not appear in the data field itself for the 0 and 10 values.


Figure 124: Task priority menu.



Figures 125 and 126 show two filled-in task scheduling dialogs for tasks that have appeared in the figures of earlier scenarios.


Figure 125: Scheduling a non-recurring task.






Figure 126: Scheduling a recurring task.



In the recurring task, the `Due Date' label is changed to `Start Date' to clarify the display. As with the appointment scheduling dialog, the user presses the `OK' button to add the task to her calendar, `Clear' to clear all data-entry values to the defaults, and `Cancel' to cancel the scheduling operation. The system removes the dialog window from the screen when the user presses `OK' or `Cancel'.




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